New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 108th Indian Science Congress through video conferencing on Tuesday.
The theme of the event this year is "Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment".
Talks and exhibitions are open to the general public.
The inaugural ceremony will start at 9.30 a.m. and the event is being hosted by Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) at its Amravati Road Campus.
A special attraction of the event is the mega expo "Pride of India". The prominent developments, major achievements and the significant contributions largely of Indian Science and Technology to the society will be showcased in the exhibition, which brings together and displays hundreds of new ideas, innovations, and products covering the entire canvas of the scientific world.
Pride of India displays the strengths and achievements of Government, Corporate, PSUs, Academic and R&D Institutes, Innovators & Entrepreneurs from all across the country.
Among the top dignitaries who will attend Tuesday's inaugural session are Governor of Maharashtra and Chancellor of Maharashtra Public Universities, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Union Minister and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of RTMNU Centenary Celebrations, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.
The technical sessions have been divided into 14 sections under which parallel sessions will be conducted at different venues in the university's Mahatma Jotiba Phule Educational Campus.
Apart from these 14 sections, there will be a Women's Science Congress, a Farmers' Science Congress, a Children's Science Congress, a Tribal Meet, a section on Science and Society and a Science Communicators' Congress.
The Plenary Sessions will feature Nobel Laureates, leading Indian and foreign researchers, experts and technocrats from a wide variety of fields, including space, defense, IT and medical research. The technical sessions will showcase path-breaking and applied research in Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences, Anthropological and Behavioural Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth System Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Information and Communication Science & Technology, Material Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Medical Sciences, New Biology, Physical Sciences, and Plant Sciences.
In the run-up to the event, the Vigyan Jyot programme, a tradition of the Indian Science Congress, was held on Monday.